My thief/illusionist, Ujin Tohl, went on an adventure in my homebrew city, Bhavisyavani, the adventure was run by a friend. My character had to find someone in a huge city, I was given no guidance on how to do this, I was just dropped into the setting with a task.
The resulting adventure was tons of fun, and it really showed off the setting. I thought I would post the journal in pieces, as it is fairly long, as a way of teasing the eventual setting publication hopefully in the fall. I hope this gives an idea of the flavor of the setting, I am going for pulp/Vancian with a dash of Howard, Leiber and Zelazny… in other words AD&D!
This is the first installment.
The PC:
Ujin Tohl the Viridescent
T5/Il6 – AL: LN – Deity: Yama
S: 10 I: 16 W: 9 D: 17 C: 9 C: 18, HP: 23, AC: 3 (leather armor), MV: 12”
Weapons:
(4) Daggers [bichuwa]: 1-4/1-3 [+1/+1]
Short Sword [niuweidao]: 1-6/1-8 [+1/+1]
Sling: 2-5/1-4 [+2]
Spells [4/3/1]:
1st - Change Self, Chromatic Orb, Color Spray, Detect Invisibility, Hypnotism, Wall of Fog
2nd - Blindness, Hypnotic Pattern*, Improved Phantasmal Force, Magic Mouth
3rd - Illusory script, Non-detection, Paralyzation, Phantom steed
*Ujin carries a jewel hanging from a chain he uses as the material component of this spell, it has a continual light cast on it that glows green.
Magic Items
1. Short Sword +1/+2 vrs. magic using and enchanted creatures ("Kirach")
2. Cloak of the Bat [+2 protection, 90% invisible in darkness, hang from ceiling, fly 15” MC:B or transform to bat for an hour then cannot for an hour]
3. Scroll: Illusionary Script, Major Creation (20%F/15%RH)
4: Scroll: Wraithform, Summon Shadow (20%F/15%RH), Shadow Walk (40%F/25%RH)
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Ujin felt the blazing sun baking the top of the canopy over his head, despite the “cover” it provided the waves of heat still pulsed down from above, making him sweat more than he could ever remember doing so before.
It was relentless.
The rhythmic push of the barge poles kept them skimming along the river at a good pace, Ujin expected to be at the city very soon.
Assuming he didn’t die of heat exposure first, perhaps he should jump in the water for a swim…
Ujin’s mind wandered back to a conversation he had about a month ago. He had worked for the Black Cloak Thieves Guild for several years before he left the profession and started his career as a phantasmist. However, the Guild still had influence over him, and called on him for periodic favors, it was understood that you never really left the guild, and it never hurt to be in good standing…
He met with the Guildmaster, Ronnak Thorvis, in his private quarters, never a good sign, and he was told a tale of a powerful thief from Bhavisyavani who had travelled great distances to steal one of Thorvis’ most prized possessions, a special ring that he had himself stolen from a powerful wizard years ago. The ring was extremely rare, a ring of spell storing with illusionist spells, and the thief who stole it from Thorvis, one Imiran “the Basilisk” Shinn, retreated to Bhavisyavani to reap the rewards of such a high-profile theft from under the nose of a distant Guildmaster. Thorvis spent a considerable amount of gold to determine that Imiran had not given the ring to the Bhavisyavani guild, he still wore it on his finger. Apparently the Bhavisyavani Guild did not require he turn over the best of the loot stolen from distant lands.
Thorvis had kept the theft a secret in his guild, but he knew this wouldn’t last. He also knew he didn’t want any of his regular men going after it, as they would have leverage on him that he didn’t like. So he decided to tap Ujin, as he had “left” the Guild, and wasn’t connected to any current intrigues.
Ujin was to travel to Bhavisyavani and find Imiran “the Basilisk” Shinn, get the ring back, and take it to the Bhavisyavani guild as a gift for their Guildmaster from the Black Cloak guild. Thorvis saw some value in establishing a relationship with the Bhavisyavani guild, its reputation for skilled thieves alone was worth connecting with, not to mention that Thorvis wanted to expand his power base further.
And it never hurt to prove that you could take back what was taken from you.
Find one man in a city of thousands, get back a unique magical ring, and then go to the local guild and hope they don’t kill you for your trouble before hearing your offer.
Ujin wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed as his boat pulled up to the shore in front of the city.
Ujin passed through the gates to the city with minimal complication. There were quite a few pilgrims, merchants and travelers here today, but all eagerly paid the head tax and quickly entered the city, their faces split by a line marking them as ajanabee, outsiders.
The city of prophecy was, after all, a city of hope.
He passed through the late afternoon crowds marveling at the size and diversity of the population. Mockwind was a large enough seaside hub, he wasn’t a total tyro, but this was something palpably… bigger. Peasants and merchants, priests in colorful garb (everyone wore vibrant colors here, in the North everyone was in black, grey or brown...) alongside entertainers enchanting groups of people with song and performance, lizard men - so many of them walking around - with their strange gait and rows of jagged teeth, passing by hordes of scrambling children headed to lessons or home to work. Stalwart ward patrol guards walked in regimented groups, scanning the crowds for miscreants and ne'er do wells from behind their blunt shields and sharp swords.
So much was happening that Ujin felt completely adrift, he was a mote swirling on the water, everything here happened without him, here he was a spectator.
The first group of guards Ujin saw had a blazon of a yellow ape on a black field and appeared to be actively looking for someone. Ujin, despite the absurdity of it, worried that they might be looking for him, and moved along quickly.
Instinct, it had saved him so many times before, he relied on it now.
He wasn't followed.
Ujin had thought about contacting the guild when he arrived but decided against it. He was planning something they would no doubt object to, better to be done with it before he approached them.
A large procession came down the street as Ujin turned a corner. The group consisted of four giant lizards and a walking contingent of about 20 guards. The guards all wore blazons with the yellow ape.
At the front of the procession a stone giant, blazoned on the chest with the yellow ape, walked alongside the procession. At the rear of the procession was a strange looking… thing. It was 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide, it’s arms were massive, ending in cruel claws. It’s feet had two toes each, both ending in claws as well. It’s ears were like batwings and it had two giant mandibles below its maw, a gaping hole filled with razor sharp fangs. It’s skin was rubbery and wet, and it was bound by a collar, each wrist was clamped in irons, and its legs were similarly bound.
Ujin now noticed that the creature had been cut in multiple places, and many of the guards had been hurt as well.
Perhaps the beast had been taken and this was a victory procession?
The giant lizards held a woman and three men.
The woman was at the front of the procession and sat tall on her mount, she wore gleaming silver armor with no helmet or shield, her only apparent weapon was a cruel looking broadsword at her side. She had the blazon of the yellow ape and a long yellow cape behind her. Ujin saw the reverence on the faces of many a passerby as she passed by.
The two giant lizards that followed her were ridden by powerful looking men, clad in leather armor with the yellow ape blazon and no helmets on. The first man had a thin fierce face, completely hairless all around, that brought to mind a stalwart crow sitting on a farmers fence, he carried a jeweled dagger and no other apparent weapons.
The second man had rugged, chiseled features and a long black beard, braided with metal rings as was the fashion in Bhavisyavani. He wore chain mail armor and no helm, and had a tulwar at his side.
The last man on a giant lizard was clearly different than the rest. The most obvious difference was the face tattoo he sported, the right half of his face was black, and on the field of black was the silhouette of a yellow ape. He was dressed without armor but wore instead black silk leggings and flowing silken robes of black trimmed with yellow and completely open at the front, exposing a chest covered with scars that framed tattoos of strange runes in some unknown language. He carried a small dagger, a wand and a leather pouch on his belt.
Unlike the looks given to the woman, the last man saw both envy and fear reflected back at him in the faces of the crowd.
Ujin saw a peasant boy in the crowd looking at the procession with a sorrowful face, it jarred him out of watching the procession. He seemed unfazed by the monster’s presence, and Ujin found himself curious about him. He bent to speak to the boy. He looked to be 10 maybe 12 years old. He realized his accent would likely be difficult for the child so he spoke as clearly as he could.
"Everyone here looks afraid or in awe, you don’t."
The child looked up and his expression changed slightly, Ujin now saw frustration.
"I want to ride a giant lizard and be a Lord of Bhavisyavani!"
“Who is the Bhavisyavani lord?”
He pointed to the woman at the front of the procession.
“She’s the one, her name is Lord Zalea of House Omander, she is a master of the schiavona, I saw her behead two men in the arena within about five heartbeats using one.”
Now the boy looked wide eyed and impressed.
Ujin smiled, “And who are the rest?”
The boy narrowed his eyes.
The first two men are her consorts, the tall thin one is named Moruan, he is a sensitive and seer. The second one, I can’t remember his name, I think he is an artist.
He held back for a moment as if afraid to speak. The last man clearly scared him. Ujin redirected the conversation.
“How do you know so much about these people?”
The boy raised an eyebrow, “My father works for House Omander, I have lived in this Ward all my life. Chustal plants, Teerin flowers and Yul blooms are harvested here, for wine, perfumes and salves. I have watched all the Lords and warlocks of House Omander in the arena.
Ujin wondered if the boy was a street-thief or just wandering from his father’s watch.
"What, other than your age, is stopping you from becoming a Lord?"
The boy now looked confused, then he looked more closely at Ujin, noticing the stripe on his face.
"Ajanabee, you don’t understand."
Ujin was taken aback, it was a blunt comment, but he had been told that Bhavisyavanians were to the point, so he took it in stride.
“Then make me understand.”
The boy sized up Ujin, as if for the first time since he came over to him.
“I can’t be a warrior without weapons and training, and armor, I can’t afford any of that. My father will not pay for it, he wants me to become a priest of Ganesh.”
Ujin nodded, it was a fair concern. He reached into his pouch and took out a pair of platinum pieces.
“You don’t need armor and weapons, you just need a practice sword and someone to train you. Go find a sword and a trainer, this should get you a few weeks of training at least. If you catch their interest, they may take you on and get you that armor.”
The boy looked at the phantasmist with wide eyed astonishment, he had never held this kind of money, and he hadn’t expected anything. He hesitated then held out his hand.
Ujin gave him the money, and smiled.
The boy replied, “What do you want?”
Ujin stopped and looked at the boy, treating him as a child was no doubt a mistake, “Well, I’m looking for someone, but I don’t think you can help with that, it’s a big city.”
The boy laughed and took a chunk of green… something out of his pocket and began to chew it,
“You need to go to the Guild.”
Ujin liked the boy, he was perceptive. He forgot sometimes how worldly children this age could be, they hear more than they say.
“He is probably part of the Guild, so that’s not going to help.”
“I can ask about him for you.”
Ujin shook his head vigorously, “You can’t go around asking about Guild members, it’s dangerous.”
“I can handle danger!”
Ujin laughed, “You are of no use to me dead.”
He laughed too.
Ujin decided to ask about the third man.
“Who was the man with the face tattoo?”
The boy looked away from the procession but answered.
“He is Kaljack Triss, a warlock in House Omander, he has a reputation.”
“A reputation for what?”
The boy spit out a green mass from his mouth.
“Killing people, in interesting ways. He has taken more challengers to the arena that I can count.”
“Many warlocks kill, it’s not that unusual.”
The boy made a hissing sound, Ujin had no idea what that meant, he hadn’t absorbed the local customs yet.
“Ajanabee, you Northerners are jangalee, and your warlocks are not worth the name. I travelled north with my father last year, he is a spice trader, and I met some northern “warlocks”. A northern warlock slinks around, wearing dark robes and hiding who he is so he won’t be killed. He surrounds himself with armored men. He’s a snake, a mouse, a spider. A true Bhavisyavani warlock walks alone and wears blazing colors, he’s a lion, a dragon, his mana is fear.”
Ujin became suddenly concerned about his mana.
“Tell you what”, the apparationist spoke, “I will check back here in a week at this time, late afternoon, and you can tell me what you have heard. I’m looking for a man named Imiran Shinn, he’s also called the Basilisk.”
The boy became exited, “I must know someone that knows him.”
Ujin shook his head again, “No, don’t ask around, then he will find out someone is looking for him, and I don’t want that. And he might just kill you for asking.”
The boy spun around and shouted, “Ha!”, you are an assassin, yes? Are you black feather?”
“A what?”
“A black feather, the assassin’s guild leaves a black feather behind when they kill someone.”
“No, not at all. This man is a thief, he stole something that belongs to someone I know, so I’m here to get it back.”
Ujin turned, “I’m going to go, what is your name?”
“Binlas, but my friends call me Bin.”
Ujin nodded.
“Go get yourself a sword Binlas, before you get jumped and lose your coins”, Ujin walked into the crowd and headed out to find accommodation.
Ujin’s found a place to stay in the clothier’s Ward, it was downscale enough that it wasn’t too expensive, but it was upscale enough that he wasn’t worried about being shanked in his sleep. When he secured his room and made arrangements to pay for a month’s stay he departed the inn and boarded a passenger barge headed towards the Temple Ward.
The phantasmist sat near the back of the barge moving slowly down the canal, taking in all he could see. Creating convincing illusions was a process of recalling a memory and then shaping it into a new reality, a union of a shade of the past with a shard of the possible. To do this an illusionist had to see everything around them, and watch things, and people, to observe. Ujin observed his fellow travelers.
The barge was populated with a mix of different people, five Ward soldiers from House Iastis stood shouting and laughing at the front of the barge. Each had a blazon with a black hand holding a silver dagger on a grey background. Ujin noted that they were minimally armed (falcata and crossbows only) and seemed uninterested in anything but their conversation and the pretty people walking by the canal. The sun was also going down, as the work day was ending for some he concluded that they were likely finished their patrols and drills and out to find food and entertainment.
He next noted the whispering cabal of women dressed in blood red robes near the soldiers, all were bald except for a small patch at the top of their heads. From this patch grew a ponytail that snaked down behind their heads, then around their neck on the right side to their chests where they dropped down and over to their left side to wrap around their waist twice and then trail down the left hip to just above the ground.
The ponytail was bound every inch by an ivory ring made from the tusks of a catobleplas, a sacred beast to cult of Kali, goddess of death. The priestesses stood in a circle whispering prayers and would periodically thrust out their hands and slap aside the hands of other priestesses, chanting “shuddh” when they struck.
Their faces were covered with blood red symbols, to Ujin’s horror they looked as if they were scratched in recently, or perhaps regularly.
The soldiers took no interest in the priestesses.
There was a large group of builders behind him, all filthy and tired, and a collection of what he assumed were farmers, who were of course another kind of filthy and tired. A giant lizard sat at the rear of the barge, just in front of the captain, a large Saan in white pantaloons and a black turban who sat atop a raised seat with a canopy above it. Two men with bargepoles were at the back of the barge behind the captain, two other men were near the front on either side, pushing or pushing off the side when they docked to drop passengers.
Ujin noted that the giant lizard was asleep, and he had seen several other barges today that had only mounts or only people, but he had never seen both on one barge before. Ujin surmised that this was the captain’s lizard.
Best not to cause trouble, he decided.
The heady scent of the Teerin flowers from the crops Ward he had just left was still clinging to Ujin, it was a sweet and sharp smell, unlike anything he had experienced, but this city was filled with so many plants he had never seen or smelled before. Ujin recalled something he was told on the journey here, that they salted the streets daily in Bhavisyavani, to ensure the plants don’t grow there too. The buildings were covered top to bottom with a riot of vines and flowers, so much so that when the wind blew past it made the buildings appear to shiver with the release of some ancient, unknown tension.
He could explore Bhavisyavani for the rest of his life and still be surprised, Ujin was considering staying here for a time…
The barge passed into the “Maharaja’s Ward”, as it was known to the locals, it held the seat of government and all of its official branches. The buildings here were deliberately massive and decorated with extensive graven artwork and leering statues emerging from roof corners to survey the streets, all crafted from dark marbles polished to perfection. Ujin actually saw a small clutch of children on ladders and scaffolds doing just that, using rags to polish the side of one of the buildings to a shine.
The streets radiated power and wealth.
The canal then passed extremely close to the tower of the warlock Kurnadale, a phantasmist, one of a small number of the Bhavisyavani warlocks that were practiced in the art of illusion. He was also a Garudin*, the only city warlock of his kind. His tower was extremely tall, but also extremely narrow, Ujin estimated it was about 50 feet in diameter, but looked to be almost 10 stories tall.
Ujin noted a group of children who all were staring at the tower very intently from their vantage point just ahead of him. One was yelling at another.
“No, hey, I told you, it only works when we are lined up with the statue of Ratri by the canal, then look at the tower, you won’t see anything now!”
Ujin’s right eyebrow shot up and his left came down.
He looked at the canal side and saw what he assumed was the statue of Ratri, he casually walked until he was behind the boys, and looked towards the tower. They would be lined up in moments.
The tower was a dark, burnt orange color, a rusty nail pushed up by a giant hammer to spear the feet of passing gods. Ujin’s view of the tower was framed by low lying buildings, a few other distant warlock towers, and the city wall, with clouds on the horizon. The sun was sinking behind him, bathing the nail tower in a wavering, liquid red and gold sea of light.
When the barge hit the appointed area Ujin’s vision changed, suddenly it was as if he was looking through a spyglass. First his vision focused on Khostin’s tower the next Ward over, Khostin was the warlock of House Uarnos. His tower was wreathed in chalk white thorny branches, it had no apparent doors, and Ujin noted the leaves on the branches in great detail.
He blinked and the focus changed, he was now looking at a distant forest of gham trees, black trunked and crowned by green leaves with blue blossoms that emitted puffs of green mist when it was hot. The angle of his vision should not have allowed this, he should be seeing distant mountains and clouds, but there it was, so vivid, so real, he knew he was seeing a distant forest as surely as if it were at his fingertips.
The distant forest sighed its verdant breath, and Ujin closed his eyes.
He opened them again, and he saw just the tower.
Ujin’s barge then passed into the forested Ward that contained the Bhavisyavani blossom, the purple house sized plant that bonded with city dwellers so they could use the healing pools. It was a dense jungle of plants, literally hundreds of which Ujin had never experienced. This was the Ward of House Viinos, it was also the home of the city’s Druid coven, and the House of the warlock Konkarrin.
There were no buildings in the ward other than the warlock’s tower. It was an immense thing, pentagon shaped, 500 feet to the side and five stories tall. It looked more like a fortress than a tower. Its walls were made of a deep green stone that sweat like skin in the heat, shuddered when struck with any blunt object, and emitted a wailing noise if struck by a blade.
Ujin watched the forest intently. He saw some bright orange monkeys in the trees, and a disturbingly large number of alligators on the banks of the canal. Some brightly colored birds fluttered by, he swore at least one of them had a double set of wings, but the sun had finally set and he found he could not see them that well.
They cleared the forested Ward of House Viinos, as soon as they emerged into the Temple Ward it was as if someone had lifted a blanket off their heads, suddenly there was noise again. Ujin hadn’t even noticed that it was quiet while passing through the jungle.
The Temple Ward was a complete contrast to the languid thickness of the jungle vines and trees. The buildings did not as much suggest wealth and power as they were majestic and sublime. As Ujin wandered down the streets, half lit in the opal black of the night by torches placed at regular intervals, he noted several things.
Each god had a temple dedicated to them, but no two temples were exactly across the street from each other.
Each temple was surrounded by smaller buildings and open squares filled with pilgrim encampments. The temples in Bhavisyavani were obliged to take in the poor and destitute, no one need sleep without shelter in the city (nor did anyone need to starve - Ujin had discovered, inns, taverns and restaurants in the city were required to offer fish, rice and water to anyone who asked, if they could pay or not).
Temples were all of approximately the same height, Ujin presumed this was to ensure that no god was elevated too far above the other.
They were all built of stone, not wood, and all had open entries in the front with no doors; each entry also had a series of symbols above the door, carved into the marble, and a series of symbols on the stones in front of the door.
Every temple had steps up to an open area with a fountain in the center, the fountain had a statue of one of the gods closest to the god of the temple. There were temples to other pantheons, but not other gods, only the gods of the Hindu had their own temples.
Other than that, they varied in colour, design and orientation, but only the temple of Ushas, goddess of the dawn, faced east, all others faced in another direction.
Ujin walked along for a time until he came to a familiar looking building, it’s marbled walls were a deep, maroon red, striated through with coppery lines. He saw the fountain at the top of the stairs, it had a statue of Kali, goddess of death and destruction, Yama’s closest pair in the pantheon. She was, however, the inverse of the marble of the temple, coppery marble striated with lines of deep maroon red. The water that cascaded down her face made it appear to move with you when you passed in the half-light of the street torches.
Ujin walked to the fountain and stopped to wash his hands, it was a ritual he had done a thousand times before, but here it seemed more powerful, surrounded by temples to other gods of his pantheon, Ujin was used to praying at a small isolated temple, or no temple at all.
He said a quick prayer to the statue of Kali, “main praarthana karata hoon ki ham poora nahin karenge”, and then walked past to the entrance.
He read the symbols above the door and waited a moment in silence, they were the names of Yama’s parents, brother and sister: Surya, Sandhya, Sraddhadeva Manu and Yami.
On the floor in front of the entrance was a stone with the name of Yama’s son, Jayanta, engraved on it. He stepped to the side of it as he entered the temple.
Ujin was immediately confronted with a gigantic statue of a water buffalo, made of bronze it was about three times the size of a normal water buffalo, and atop it sat a robed man with a sword in one hand and a skull in the other.
The room was lit by twenty braziers, each ten feet in diameter and nursing a small inferno of firelight, hanging from the ceiling by chains and spaced equally around the room.
There appeared to be an altar in front of the water buffalo statue, and candles, some burning and some sputtering, bled their wax all over its top and down its side.
As Ujin’s eyes adjusted to the half-light he saw that there were scattered people on prayer mats supplicating in divine worship. Some hummed prayers, some wailed, others sat hunched over and whispering to their god in fear.
None appeared to notice him.
Ujin then noticed a small gong near the entrance to the building, he walked over, grabbed a small metal hammer and struck the gong.
The sound bounced around the room like lightning, and within moments a priest emerged from the depths of the temple darkness, he was bald but also had no beard, unusual in the city, and wore red robes trimmed with copper.
He was followed by five acolytes, all similarly clad, but walking a few feet behind.
He bowed his head and offered the traditional Bhavisyavani greeting, he held out his hands, palms together, Ujin responded by taking his hands, palms together, and closing them on the priest’s hands. Then both said the traditional greeting with heads bowed, “khule haath, khule dil”, and then the priest pushed out, breaking the handshake.
The priest spoke first.
“What brings you to the House of Death, weary traveler?”
Ujin remembered that his head stripe was still visible, so he was labelled as an “ajanabee”, and outsider, right from the start.
“I want to find someone, or more precisely, something.”
“Do you think we have it?”
Ujin chuckled, “No, that would be surprising.”
“Then why are you here?”
Ujin turned to the statue and held one hand over his heart and the other palm flat over his face, then he spoke,
“Mrt, mrt, gauravashaalee mrt,
yam un sabhee ko bulaata hai,
aur unakee aatmaon ka netrtv kiya jaata hai,
yam ke paksh mein ve khade hain,
unake shaktishaalee kaam ve dekhate hain,
aapako diya maut ka upahaar.
His recitation of Yama’s prayer of the dead was delivered with a confidence and familiarity that had the desired effect, the priest’s visage softened and he smiled.
“We do not get that many ajanabee who know the prayers.”
Ujin nodded, “My father was raised in the cult of Yama and taught me the worship of death, I honor him with this gift.”
The priest waved him to stop, and rang the gong twice. In moments another priest, this one bearded and wearing a tall, sloping hat on his bald head. He stopped beside the group, and nodded at Ujin.
Ujin reached into a small pouch on his belt and took out a sparkling orange gem, it was perfectly shaped, large and flawless.
Ujin placed the gem on the altar, the flickering light of the brazier fires playing on its surface. He then took out a small bundle of cloth and unwrapped it. Inside was what appeared to be a desiccated hand. He placed the hand on the altar as well.
None of the worshippers praying looked up or appeared to even notice, they were deep in union with their god of endings. Ujin sat kneeling for a moment in silent prayer and then returned to the priest and his acolytes.
"The stone is an orange diamond, very rare and valuable, taken from the horde of a ghast slain by my sword."
Ujin pointed at the hand on the altar, "The hand belongs to the ghast."
The senior priest was garbed in copper trimmed red robes, his head was bald under his remarkable hat, and he had a long beard tied off with metal bands. He looked off into the distance for a moment, as if communing with some unknown force, and then he walked over to the gem on the altar and after a brief inspection he handed it to one of the acolytes who placed it in a strongbox. He then wrapped up the desiccated hand and placed it in a vessel filled with ashes and walked back to Ujin.
"You offer rare wealth and the hand of death to Yama, and I, Siket Tun, Pujaaree of Yama, accept your tribute to him."
Ujin nodded and waited for instruction. He had learned many years ago to allow clerical types to direct the conversation, those who were direct servants of a deity often had an outsized sense of importance.
"You may now ask your question."
Ujin spoke clearly and without flourish.
"I am looking for a man named Imiran “the Basilisk” Shinn who stole from my master, Ronnak Thorvis, and I wish to ask Yama for his help finding him. If it is his will I will find the thief, if it is not I will take the long journey home. I require your assistance as an intermediary, as my prayers are too quiet for Yama or his servants to hear, but he hears your voice clearly."
The priest nodded.
"I assume that Shinn is a thief of some repute?"
Ujin nodded, "Yes, but I fear any inquiries by me would tip his hand to my search, I was hoping that I could avoid that by coming to you. Yama knows all."
Siket Tun nodded, "Yes he does."
The priest turned to one of the acolytes, "Jalles, go to the temple of Ratri and speak with the priest Laus Orr, ask for the whereabouts of this Imiran “the Basilisk” Shinn. Inform him that Shinn has not made a tribute to Yama in many moons and I would have my acolytes speak with him."
Jalles departed with haste.
Ujin spoke, "Does the temple of Ratri track all thieves in this city?"
Siket Tun chuckled, "Nothing so overt, Ratri is the goddess of thieves and even thieves pray from time to time, he would have been to temple to give tribute to his god. If he is a thief of repute the priests will be aware of him, particularly in Bhavisyavani."
Ujin must have looked confused as Siket Tun continued.
"Bhavisyavani is a city bursting with creativity and skill, the gods have blessed this city so the artists and visionaries are drawn here. The Lords of the Houses of Bhavisyavani are the finest warriors in the world, they battle in the arena for all to see. The warlocks here work to reawaken old magic and craft powerful new spells never seen before, they crave the mana of fame as much as the drug of power. And even the thieves are artists. The skill of the theft and the audacity of the job are as important as the lust for wealth. Thieves in the city of prophecy only hide when they are about to stab you in the back, otherwise they swagger and strut about, this Shinn will be known to the priests of Ratri, I am sure of it."
Siket Tun began to walk and motioned for Ujin to follow.
"There is an old saying here in the city, 'Thieves in Bhavisyavani don't steal, they paint you a picture of an empty chest and switch it with the real one'."
Ujin was a bit nonplussed, he had hoped for magical aid, but as he thought about it this was probably better, magical searching could possibly be detected or blocked, an informal inquiry was more subtle.
Siket Tun motioned to the prayer mats and the men sat together, kneeling down in silence for several minutes. Ujin wondered if the priest heard Yama's voice when he prayed, Ujin had never heard anything himself, but the priest was connected in a way he could never be.
What would a God sound like?
Siket Tun whispered a blessing and motioned for Ujin to follow as they waited for the return of the acolyte on the steps of the temple. Pilgrims and worshippers came and went around them, most acknowledging Siket Tun as they left or entered. Ujin and the priest of the death god discussed local politics, what Siket Tun thought of the current Maharaja ("He's the Grand Master of Flowers from the Order of the Orange Blossom, an aesthetic, what does he know of governing?"), and then the priest asked about Ujin's home in the north, what the cold was like, and whether there were many worshippers of Yama there.
After about a half hour the acolyte Jalles returned, running down the street to arrive, breathless, on the steps.
"What have you heard Jalles?", Siket Tun was right to business.
The acolyte cleared his throat then spoke, "The thief and his men can often be found at a tavern in the arena Ward called 'The Broken Sword', Shinn owns the tavern. It is known as a gathering place for thieves and mercenaries, but the Ward guards leave it alone as it’s protected by the guild."
Ujin realized this meant no help for him if he confronted the thief there.
Siket Tun waved off the acolyte with a smile and a nod and turned to Ujin.
"The blessings of Yama be with you, and if you should fail in your task may death deliver you to Yama's divine embrace."
Ujin smiled and left the temple steps, the cool gaze of Kali on his back.
The night had grown darker and the moon was up, making it blacker in the shadows and a dull red in the flickering torchlight. The crowds were thinning out as the night wore on, this was the Temple Ward, so there were no street entertainers or taverns here. Ujin walked for several minutes, noting some of the other temples here in the Ward. He even noted several temples to other gods not as familiar to him, but these were not temples to individual gods but instead to entire other pantheons.
Only the Gods of Indra merited whole temples to themselves.
Ujin was unfamiliar with the Ward and decided to head North until he hit a canal then grab a canal boat back to his ward. He turned a corner and found himself in a dark alley with no torches, but he could see another street beyond where he suspected the canal cut by.
As he reached the halfway point three men entered the alley ahead of him. Ujin immediately sensed hostility, all were armored and all openly carried crossbows and swords, the latter forbidden in the city. Ujin turned but saw another group of men approaching from the other end of the alley. They were also openly armed, and one of them had a chain with a strange creature shackled to it. The creature's arms were disproportionately long and it was dark green in color, it's skin was was leathery and leaf like. It had vicious fangs and claws.
It's eyes were covered with a blindfold.
Ujin suddenly recognized one of the toughs from Yama's temple, one of the faithful praying on the floor. The man holding the creature began to speak.
"Asking questions about the locals can get you in trouble headstripe."
The man must have left the temple after Ujin started talking about Shinn to get his friends, and that... thing.
Ujin's hand had been in his pocket holding multi-colored sand as he walked through an unfamiliar place, an old habit still practiced.
He grasped and visibly removed a dagger with his other hand to focus them on that.
"I have business with Shinn and I was just trying to find him."
He hoped he could bluff his way out of this.
“What kind of business headstripe?”
Ujin wasn’t sure what the man had heard or not heard in the temple, so he wasn’t sure what to say.
“That’s between me and Shinn.”
“There’s six of us and my friend here, you should be a bit more respectful.”
“Doesn’t matter, I need to see Shinn.”
The man laughed, "Don't worry, you'll get your wish, we'll bring him your corpse."
With this the creature's blindfold was torn off.
Ujin thrust out his hand and spoke the words, "sechny barvy nyni" and the alley exploded with shards of color, it was as if he had torn open the blackness that was holding back the daylight and all the colors had come back through to avenge their banishment to the night.
The creature and two of the men dropped immediately to the ground, their brains overwhelmed by the torrent of pure colors they had seen. The leader had managed to look away and was not effected.
The men at the opposite end of the alley were further away than the group he just attacked, so Ujin decided to take a chance and gain height rather than cast another spell. He was going to use his cloak and fly but he would be a target as he left. He had a better idea.
He turned and grabbed the vines hanging on the wall to his right and began to climb. The leader of the group had survived the color spray and was violently shaking the chained creature attempting to wake it. The other men at the far end of the alley sheathed their swords and loaded their crossbows.
Two shots fired off and went far afield in the dark, there were no torches here and the men hadn't brought any, so visibility was bad. One struck the wall inches from Ujin's head, spraying soft garnet petals on his face.
The men reloaded and Ujin kept moving. He was about half way up now, it was pitch dark in the alley, so the phantasmist stopped, and his magical cloak made him meld into the shadows when he held still.
The leader screamed at the creature.
When the crossbows were loaded the men looked back to the spot where Ujin was and he was no longer there.
The curses flew fast and furious.
The men strained to see where the phantasmist went, and once they moved past his location
Ujin climbed again, and made the roof this way rather quickly.
At the top he waited to see if the men would follow. He needed them to follow or they might tip off his target. He could fly away now, but he would lose an advantage. If he stayed too long the unconscious men and that creature would wake.
Ujin took out his sling and looked for his opponents below, they were searching the ground and scanning the wall, but it was hard to see them. Finally moonlight glinted off a blade and Ujin found a target, letting the sling fly and being rewarded with a clashing sound.
The men looked up and started shouting and fired again, one shot hit to his left, another wildly to his right, and the last just missed his shoulder.
Then they started climbing.
He waited until they passed the 3/4 mark and he whispered a quick prayer to Yama and targeted the man the closest to the roof with his sling. The shot smashed into his head and the man plummeted to the ground, landing with a sickening crunch.
There were three men left, including the leader, all were advancing quickly. The creature was still out.
Ujin took another shot and missed this time.
The men were soon going to be on the roof so he moved back from the edge.
The roof was covered with various and sundry items, there were plenty of places to find cover.
Ujin used his magical cloak to hide him in the shadows and took out his sword and one dagger.
The three men crested the roof and drew swords.
"Ill skin you for this ajanabee, you killed one of my men and took out my kech! I fought a warlock to get that kech!"
Ujin smiled from the dark, the man he knocked off the wall must have died. He wounded another as well.
The three men spread out over the roof in different directions, one came towards him, as he passed Ujin his niuweidao shot out and ran him through, the thug saw the point of Ujin's sword in front of his eyes as he died.
"One for my Lord Yama" Ujin whispered, pulling out the blade. He then took three long strides before they looked over and stood stock still. He blended into the shadows.
The two other men charged in the direction of their fallen companion, sword's out.
Ujin waited until one unsuspecting mercenary was in reach and he stabbed him in the back with his niuweidao and in the side with his Bichuwa.
The leader turned back and saw Ujin’s bloody blades dripping on the ground, and the dead body of one of his men at his feet.
Ujin didn't have time to drop his sword and dagger and cast a spell, so he decided to fight.
The two men circled, and Ujin smiled, then laughed, it was an old trick taught to him by a fighter he had adventured with years ago, project confidence and your opponent will hesitate.
"Kirach is still thirsty, and Yama is lonely, I will send you to him."
His opponent lost his nerve and charged, shouting, hoping to intimidate Ujin. He raised his sword above his head and lunged, Ujin feinted to the left and slashed under the thug's blow, striking his belly.
Ujin heard shouts as the unconscious men awoke below, and presumedly the kech as well.
The leader snarled. .
"Three men, I will kill you for that!"
He attacked ferociously, and Ujin's sword and dagger were hard pressed to beat him back. His fighting style was wild and unpredictable, on several occasions he overextended himself and only his armor saved him. He almost shot off the roof at one point when he lunged at the phantasmist, only pivoting at the last second.
The two men backed off and circled again.
"I can hear my men coming, and the kech. Your innards will decorate this roof soon ajanabee."
Ujin decided to use his cloak and transformed into a bat, he flew up above the thug while he looked on in astonishment.
He landed on the next roof, and transformed back into his human form behind an obstruction.
Ujin looked out at the other roof.
There were three men and the kech together, the leader was shouting red faced at the other men, who were looting the corpses of their companions.
Ujin judged the distance to be about right and formed one hand into a fist and covered it with the other hand, he spoke the words "zmrazit navždy" twice.
The men all froze in place, unable to move.
The kech was unaffected, freed of its chain and its keepers, saw Ujin and charged across its roof towards him.
Ujin turned back and ran behind an obstruction and stood still, making him effectively invisible.
The kech was fast to cross between the buildings with a leap, and landed almost noiselessly.
It’s nostrils quivered as it tried to sense Ujin.
The phantasmist stood stock still and the beast could not see him. It wandered towards him, not seeing him but sensing something was there. Perhaps smelled, perhaps some sound gave it away. The kech came very close to him, and Ujin contemplated an attack, but he did not like his odds if he failed and the beast attacked him. So he waited for the kech to make some distance from him.
As the beast passed by and reached the side of the roof it let out a powerful wail that sounded like an infant’s cry.
It was imitating the sound of a baby, something it did to trap its prey.
Then it made a noise that sounded like a strange, mangled common, “Healllp, meeehhheee, healllp, meeehhheee”, attempting to lure Ujin towards him.
Ujin suppressed a shudder.
The beast turned around and started to come back in Ujin’s direction, so Ujin reached into a pouch and pulled out a small emerald, waiting until the beast was closer but not so close that the attack on the creature might impact him.
Ujin hurled it in the beast’s direction and spoke the words “Rang kshetr”, as the emerald flew through the air it transformed into a green globe about a foot across. It crashed into the beast and it cried out in pain, and the sphere exploded into a cloud of sickly green and yellow smoke.
The kech crashed to the ground, disoriented and sick.
Ujin could make out the beast in the cloud and shot a sling stone, since it was stationary the shot was made easier and Ujan heard the creature wail.
It then dragged itself out of the cloud, retching and moaning.
Ujin knew the beast would be out for another minute or so at most, so he weighed taking a shot with his sling or trying to flee or disappear, and he chose the latter. When the beast was lying down, blinded by tears Ujin took several strides to a spot behind some barrels and his cloak faded him to nothingness.
The kech looked up with red rimmed eyes when it finally shook off the effects of the cloud and saw nothing.
It howled. Then it started searching the roof.
Ujin heard shouts in the distance, a ward patrol was likely on the way, they had been fighting long enough and making enough noise.
He waited as the kech came closer to him, the beast was determined to find him.
Finally the kech came close enough that Ujin saw an opening, he lunged forward at the last second and buried both blades into the creature.
It bucked and twisted trying to reach around to attack Ujin, but only for a few seconds, before it twitched and died.
Ujin slid his weapons out of the beast and looked around.
There was a 10’ gap between buildings, Ujin said a quick prayer and ran and lept between the buildings, clearing the side by a foot or two.
He looked at the paralyzed men. He contemplated leaving them here, frozen in place, but that wouldn't solve his problem. He couldn't let them live with what they knew.
Ujin prayed to Yama, then ran through all of the men, including the leader, sending them to meet his god.
"The tribute is good today, eh Yama?", his death dealing was affecting his humour.
He quickly checked over the leader of the group and found a potion on his person, a money pouch and nothing else of note. He kept the potion. He felt no great sorrow at dispatching the men, they killed for a living after all, but he still found it unfortunate.
When the ward patrol arrived they would find a dead kech on one roof and the bodies of all of the men around on the ground and the roof. With the wounds on the kech and the men it would look like the group fought each other, or perhaps the kech killed them all and then crawled away wounded to die. In any case, he would not be identified unless someone used magic, and he didn’t see anyone being so interested as to make that kind of investment.
Ujin climbed down the building and headed into the shadows, leaving before a Ward patrol found any of the bodies.
He had his information, now he had to go to his target.
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